EXECUTIVE REPORT
The new facility includes a bright product display area.
“Simply massive”
Alan Guthrie visits HSC’s impressive new headquarters which is part of a comprehensive growth strategy.
The Hire Supply Company’s (HSC) new Nottingham premises are impressive for several reasons. Located on a modern trading estate near a peaceful nature reserve, the facility in Attenborough is only a few miles from its former offices in Long Eaton, which served as its base for the last 16 years. The new headquarters give significant operational benefits.
“We had simply run out of space at Long Eaton due to our on-going expansion,” MD Gary McWilliam told EHN. “We had to lease another unit nearby and had off-site pallet storage at another location to accommodate the vast range of products we offer. At the new premises all products, including non-seasonal items, will now be stored under the one roof in the 31,000ft2
building, which will help us
maintain our next working-day delivery promise and improve overall stock management.
“As well as having a bigger footprint, the new facility has higher eaves that enable us to store pallets three-high, rather than two-high before, so the increase in available space is simply massive. We have been looking for a suitable site for several years, and our Finance Director, Mark Richards, found this location back in March 2018. It was ideal. Being so close to Long Eaton means we have retained all the 24 personnel who are based here and it has excellent transport links. We moved in during February, officially opening for business on the 18th of the month, and it is a tribute to our Operations Director Kevin Lever and Warehouse Manager Steve Godfrey that it all went so smoothly. Some stock was retained at Long Eaton right until the last minute so that our supply to customers would be uninterrupted.”
Much work has been undertaken in fitting out the new building, which was previously just being used by a steel fabricator to store raw materials and it was somewhat functional in nature. “Most significantly, we have added an upper floor with open-plan office space that benefits from natural light - together with views across a lake that is part of the nature reserve,” said Gary. “We have also included a product showroom, a canteen area and a board room that can be used as a training area. We have also installed a modern air conditioning system that brings fresh air into the building, so it is a much more pleasant working environment.”
Upper floor added
The move to the new premises is part of a five-year plan that HSC embarked on at the end of its 2017/18 financial year. In late 2017 the company re-located its London operation to a bigger site in Staples Corner, to the north west of the capital, serving customers throughout the M25 area, and shortly afterwards the company strengthened its team with the appointment of three additional area sales representatives to consolidate its nationwide coverage.
Another element of the plan was a corporate re-branding. “We wanted to create a more modern identity. We hadn’t changed our main logo since we founded the business in 2001 and now, instead of our plain oval logo, we have adopted a new one comprising the initial letters of the business, filled with a montage of images reflecting our product ranges. We have also updated the logo for our Elite range of own-brand products, and we have focused on improving the customer experience with a new website that
The front of the premises proudly displays the company’s new logo. 13
The massive warehouse gives significantly greater storage space.
MOVING FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE
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